Dental amalgamator.



.l. N. FLOOD.

DENTAL AMALGAMATOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPTA, 1914.

1,172,202. Patented Feb. 15,1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

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THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 120., WASHINGTON. D. c.

J. N. FLOOD.

DENTAL AMALGAMATOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 4. 1914.

1,1722%. Patented Feb. 15,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' TE @TATS ATNT li hlfiidib JAMES 1v. FLOOD, or nENvnnooLonAno.

DENTAL AMALGAMATOR.

full, clear, and exact description of the in- .amalgamators and while the inventionis 7 located between the cuspidor and the convention, such as will enable others skilled in the art'to which it appertams tomake and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, andto thecharactersof reference marked thereon,which form a part of this speclfication.

My invention relates to nnprovements 1n adapted for generaluse, the particular embodiment set forth in my present application discloses more particularly its use as a dental amalgamator, being shown in connection with a dental cuspidor of ordinary or any suitable construction.-

The object of this invention, as its titleindicates, so far as its employment-as a dental appliance is concerned, is to save the particles of fine or flour gold or any other particles of gold which would be .lost during the dental operation of putting in gold crowns and fillings, or doing other work onor in connection with the teeth where gold is employed.

A considerable quantity of exceedingly fine or flour gold is removed while polishing and burnishing gold facings, crowns, fillings and other similar gold work which may be required in the mouth of the patient.

During this work the gold in comparatively small particles orina floured c ndition, escapesfrom the mouth ofthe patient into the cuspidor and under the conditions heretofore in vogue, has been lost.

My improvement consists of a device adapted to catch this gold and to this end it is attached to the dischargeconduit leading from the cuspidor, my lmproveinent belng duit connected with the drain pipe which leads to the sewer. Sweepings which may be collected from bench work may also be saved by the use of my amalgamatori Furthermore, this device may be employed on a large scale in saving free gold when in a natural state, as in placer or other materlal.

My improved device, generally speaking,

consists of a receptacle having a compart ment containing a quantlty of liquid mer- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 4, 1914. Serial no. 860,177.

cury, in which compartment is located a trap consisting of a mercury coated spirally-arranged plate forming a relatively long Winding channel, open at the top and bottom and at both extremities. -The bottom of this trap is preferably located in the liquid mercury which is of comparatively shallow depth. There is a central space surrounded by the trap, into which the water from the cuspidor passes, the water entering this space through a nozzle which extends clownwardly close to the surface of the mercury, whereby'the gold as it is dropped into the trap, is brought into direct contact with the liquid mercury in the center of the trap. Again, the water before escaping to the drain pipe, must pass through the spiral channel of the trap, which may be made of any desired length. The fine or floured particl es of gold which may beheld in suspension by the water, will bebrought into contact with the mercury coated surface of the spirally arranged plate during this relatively long travel through the aforesaid winding channel. The channel may be made of such length as to catch every particle of gold, as the entire area of the mercury coated surface of the spirally arranged plate as well as the liquid mercury in the bottom of the channel, become available for gold saving purposes. The upper portion of the outer extremity of the channel is provided with a downwardly extending lip, thus making it impossible for any float gold to overflow from the trap, since this lip will cause any float material to move downwardly to the lower extremity of the lip before escaping into the receptacle beyond the spiral channel. In this way, float gold will either be caught by themercury coated surface of the lip or other portion of the plate,

or will be given such a downward impetus as 'ill cause it to reach the liquid mercury and prevent its escape. In this way, provision is made for catching either the very fine floater flake gold as well as the heavier particles, or those of such shape that they may be more readily brought into contact with the liquid mercury in the bottom of the trap.

Having briefly outlined my improved construction, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In this drawing, Figure l is an elevation partly in section, showing an ordinary dental cuspidor mounted upon a stand and with my improvement attached. Fig. .2 is a section of my improved amalgamator, the section being taken on the line 2-2, Fig; 4-, and on a larger scale than in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is asimilar view taken on the line 33, Fig. 4. Fig. 41: is a plan view of the amalgamator, the to n plate being removed. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the spirally arranged plate constituting the winding channel of my improved device. Fi 6 is a detail view of the outer extremity of this channel, being a view lookingin the direction of arrow 6, Fig. 5.

The same reference characters indicate the sameparts in all the views.

, Let the numeral 5 designate my improved amalgamator considered in its entirety and composed of. a body member 6, a top plate 7 and a mercury-coated spirally arranged plate 8 constituting a channel. The body of the device is provided with an inner mercury coated wall 9 which is annularly arranged with reference to the main outer wall 10 of the device. The inner surface of the main or outer wall is also mercury coated. WVithin the compartment 12 formed by the wall 9 is located the spirally arranged plate 8 forming a channel 13 whose inner extremity is open as shown at 14, while its outer extremity is partly closed at the top,

by a depending lip 15. As illustrated in the drawing, the convolutions of this plate 8 are inclined, their upper edges being innermost and their lower edges outermost. The lower edge of the outermost convolution of this plate fits closely within thelower part of the wall 9 andprojects above said wall. The innermost convolution of the plate approximately incloses a central compartment 16 which is open at the top to receive a discharge nozzle 17 whose lower extremity extends downwardly, occupying a position near the top 18 of a body of liquid mercury 19 which the compartment 12 of the body of the device contains. This nozzle, as illustrated in the drawing, has the shape of the frustum of a cone with its base uppermost. The nozzle is preferably formed integral with the top plate 7 of the device.- Projecting above the plate and registering with the nozzle is an 'interiorly threaded collar 20, into which therlower extremity of a discharge conduit 22 is threaded. This top plate is provided with a depending rib 23 I which fits into the upper part of the wall 10.

Beyond this rib the top plate overlaps the upper edge of the wall 10 as shown at 24. On opposite sides the rib 28 is providedwith two depending lugs 25 which are recessed as shown at 26 to receive the inner extremities of set screws 27 which are threaded into openings 28 formed in the upper portion of the wall 10.

When my improvement is in use, the pipe travels through the winding channel.

or conduit 22 of the cuspidor is connected therewith as shown in Fig. 1. As illustrated in the .drawing,this cuspidor is supported upon a stand 31 of ordinary construction and the water is supplied thereto through the usual conduit 32, the discharge of water into the cuspidor from this conduit being controlled by avalve 33 in the usual manner. From the foregoing description, the use and operation of my improvement will be readily understood. The cuspidor is used in the ordinary manner, there being a constant supply of water from the pipe 32. As the patient expectorates in the cuspidor, any gold that is loose or free within the mouth passes With-the water downwardly into my improved amalgamator. In the first instance, the gold will be carried directly downwardly by the nozzle 17, whereby the heavier particles will-be broughtinto contact with the liquid mercury 19, and'saved.

This mercury preferably closes thespiral channel formed by the spirally arranged plate 8, at the bottom, so that the water after reaching the central compartment 16, in order to escape, enters the inner, extremity 14: of the channel and follows the spiral path of this channel until it is discharged at its outer extremity below the lip 15. During this travel of the water through the spiral pathway, any goldthat may re-: main or that is so fine or in such a'fioured condition that it, is ,held in'suspension by the water, will either be caught in the liquid mercury or upon the mercury-coated surface of the spiral plate, which presents a relatively large surface area to the water as Ait the water must take a circular path through the trap, the centrifugal force will be saf ficient to throw the particles of gold against the outer surfaceof the-channel formed by the spiral plate, whereby the said particles will be caused tov leave the current of water and cling to the mercurycoated surface-of the plate. In this way the travel of the gold particles is interrupted and if the. surface of the plate cannot hold them, they will fall into theliquidmercuryat the bottom of the trap. The inclined outer surface of the 11K spiral plate is wellpositioned for allowing the amalgam thereon, to drop either directly into the liquid mercury or into contact with the inner surface of the channel from whence it may readily slide downwardlylzo into the liquid mercury.

By virtue of my improvement, thev water, after it enters the trap and until it leaves the same, is in contact at the bottom and on 2 both sides of the channel with a mercury surface, thus making it practically impossible for any gold to escape, no matter how fine or floured its condition may be. Another condition which facilitates the saving of the gold, is that the water after entering the inner extremity of the spiral channel, at first travels quite rapidly, but this travel gradually becomes slower as the convolutions of the channel enlarge or increase in length. The slow travel of the water in the outer portion of its path, is exceedingly favorable to the deposition of the gold upon the mercury-coated surface of the plate, as well as its precipitation into the liquid mercury. After the water has passed out of the spiral channel through the opening 34 below the lip, it fills the compartment 12 inclosed by the inner wall 9, which is mercury coated on both sides as well as its upper edge. This water finally overflows the Wall 9 into the outer compartment 35 of the body of the device, Whose inner surface is mercury coated. It will thus be seen that every possible safeguard is provided to prevent the escape of the gold.

Having thus described my improvement, What I claim is An amalgamator comprising a receptacle provided with a mercury coated spirally arranged inclined plate forming a relatively long channel whose inner extremity is in communication with the central part of the plate and whose outer extremity is in communication with the outer portion of the receptacle, and an inner wall surrounding the spiral plate, the height of the said wall being less than that of the said plate for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES N. FLOOD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

